Friday, September 20, 2013

Book of Mormon students should be glad to know that they can now finally purchase the hardcover tome of extensive scholarship by John L. Sorenson, Mormon's Codex: An Ancient American Book (Salt Lake City: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship & Deseret Book Company). It offers over 800 pages of detailed scholarship exploring the connections between Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon. As one who was highly influenced by his insights in his earlier works, especially An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, I am anxious to get my own copy and further explore the many parallels and relationships that support Mesoamerica as the proper setting for the Book of Mormon. Getting books shipped to China can be a challenge, though. Wish me luck.

Update: Hurrah! As a comment from Lisa revealed, the book is available now in electronic form at Deseret Book. Readable with their free Bookshelf app. Just got mine and have started reading. Nice!

Update 2: Sigh. The electronic version from Deseret Book is missing all of the maps that are so important for understanding this book. I've sent emails times to Deseret Book's customer service to inquire but have received no response after several 4 days. And of you having this problem? Am I missing something?

6 comments:

No disrespect intended, but until there are official statements from G.A. regarding BOM geography, phrases such as "proper setting" should be qualified as speculative opinion.

President George Q. Cannon said "the First Presidency have often been asked to prepare some suggestive map illustrative of Nephite geography, but have never consented to do so. Nor are we acquainted with any of the Twelve Apostles who would undertake such a task. The reason is, that without further information they are not prepared even to suggest. The word of the Lord or the translation of other ancient records is required to clear up many points now so obscure."

Nothing has changed, this still applies today, we simply cannot say with any confidence where it all took place.

It's an interesting double standard when difficult questions (e.g. Adam-God theory, Blacks and the Priesthood) are quickly "put on the shelf" due to a lack of official revelation, but then we easily define the "proper setting" of the BOM with the same lacking support.

Anon 11:10 a.m. makes some good points. It is frustrating that some things are not cleared but continually swept under the rug. And the leaders why people are leaving the church. I understand we need faith, conversion and a testimony but would it really hurt to clear up some doctrines and policies.

You've just proved my point. You're right, we don't have a day for the Second Coming. This is exactly why we don't have the hardcover tome of extensive scholarship by John L. Sorenson, Mormon's Codex: "Date of the Second Coming"

LDS apologists continue to expound on BOM geography with no official support while side-stepping other difficult questions (e.g. Smith polyandry) with the excuse of a lack of official statements as the reason.